Witness denies receiving petition against Ikuforiji
An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness on Wednesday said that he did not receive any petition on money laundering against a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji.
Mr. Adebayo Adeniyi, an EFCC investigator testified as the first prosecution witness at the resumed trial of Ikuforiji before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
He was cross-examined by defence counsel, Mr. Dele Adesina (SAN). Ikuforiji is facing trial alongside his former Personal Assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi, on a 54-count charge bordering on N338.8 million money laundering.
They however, pleaded not guilty before Justice Mohammed Liman. During examination-in-chief on November 25, Adeniyi testified how investigations into the case were triggered by a petition filed by an agency.
At Wednesday’s resumed hearing, Adesina began cross-examination of Adeniyi, the defence counsel presented a photocopy of the petition that triggered the EFCC probe to the witness and asked him to confirm its genuineness, to which he replied in the affirmative.
Consequently, the defence counsel tendered the document before the court and it was admitted and marked Exhibit A.
He then asked the prosecution witness if in the course of his investigation he found any allegation of N7 billion fraud established against Ikuforiji.
The witness testified that he did not investigate fraud and could only speak for money laundering. Rephrasing his question, Adesina asked the witness: “Did you receive any petition on money laundering against the defendant?” and he replied: “No, I did not.”
After the cross-examination, the EFCC counsel, Mr. Ekene Iheanacho, sought to call a second witness, Mr. Adewale Taiwo, a former clerk of the Lagos State House of Assembly. However, the defence counsel objected, arguing that Taiwo’s name was not listed in the proof of evidence.
The court confirmed from its record that Taiwo was subpoenaed, but said it could not find the witness’s statement on oath. The defence therefore, urged the prosecution to make progress in the case or close its case.
The court thereafter, adjourned the case until February 3, 2021 for continuation of trial.
Daily Times recalls that the defendants were first arraigned on March 1, 2012, before Justice Okechukwu Okeke on a 20-count charge bordering on financial misappropriation and money laundering.
They however, pleaded not guilty and were granted bail. The defendants were re-arraigned before Justice Ibrahim Buba, following a reassignment of the case.
Buba granted them bail in the sum of N500 million each with sureties in like sum. On September 26, 2014, Buba discharged Ikuforiji and his aide of the charges, after upholding a no-case submission by them.
The judge held that the EFCC failed to establish a prima-facie case against the defendants. Dissatisfied with the ruling, the EFCC through its counsel, Mr. Godwin Obla (SAN), filed an appeal on September 30, 2014, challenging Justice Buba’s decision.
Obla had argued that the trial court erred in law when it held that the counts were incompetent because they were filed under Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2004 which was repealed by an Act of 2011.
The EFCC further argued that the lower court erred when it held that the provisions of Section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Acts of 2004 and 2011, only applied to natural persons and corporate bodies other than governments.
READ ALSO: Federal Government petitions CNN over #EndSARS report
The commission had also submitted that the trial judge erred in law when he held that evidence by prosecution witnesses supported the innocence of the defendants.
In its judgement, the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal in November 2016, agreed with the prosecution and ordered a fresh trial of the defendants before another judge.
Following the decision of the appellate court, the defendants headed to the Supreme Court, seeking to upturn the Court of Appeal’s decision. However, the apex court upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal.
